The Unmade Leader: What is a leader?

We are still dealing with the question, "Are leaders born or made?" My new take on the answer is...

"Leaders are born and then unmade."

We are unpacking what that means and why I believe that way. Yesterday's unpacking question was "born with what?" Today's question is "what is a leader?"

To begin answering this question, let's look at our definition of effective leadership...

"Effective leadership is positively influencing people and situations to create value and growth."

Key words...

Positive - Most people associate leadership in general with being good or positive. They see leadership as a good thing. Even though leadership can certainly be negative and leaders can use their power and influence to do bad things, our definition of effective leadership is rooted in the examination of what it takes to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Influencing - At its core, the act of leadership is about influencing another person to act.

Create Value - The key deliverable of effective leadership is value - something now exists of purpose and use that didn't exist before.

With this definition in mind, let's look at four levels of the definition of a leader...

Entry Leader - A person who has influence (everyone).

Emerging Leader - A leader who uses this influence in a positive way (less than everyone).

Engaged Leader - A leader whose positive influence creates followers (even less).

Expert Leader - A leader who creates tremendous value for their followers (the select few).

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